The Labor enquirer., 1887-09-24


United Labor-New York, sept. 23, 1856.
The Delegates of the Trade and Labor
Organizations of New York in conference
assembled make this declaration:
l. Holding that the corrpptions OF
government and the impoverishment of
labor result from neglect of the self-evi.
dent truths proclaimed by the founders OF
this Republic that all men are created
equal and are endowed by their Creator
with unalienable rights, we aim at the
abolition of the system. which compels
men to pay their fellow-creatures for the
use of Gods gifts to all, and permits mo
nopolizers to deprive labor of natural op-
portunities for employment thus filing
the land with tramps and peupers and
bringing about an unnatural competi-
tion which tends to reduce wages to star.
vation rates and to make the wealth pro-
ducer the industrial slave of those who
grow rich By his toll.
III. Holding, moreover, that the advan-
tages arising from social growth and i'm
provement belong to society at large, we
aim at the abolition Of the system which
makes such benefcent inventions as the
railroad and telegraph means for the
oppression of the people ana the aggran-
dixement Of an aristocracy of wealth and
power. We declare the true purpose OF
government to be the maintenance oi
that sacred right of property which gives
TO every enc opportunity to employ his
labor o,,x aacur;tx, kbat he shau A., To- ~
fruits; to prevent the strong from op
pressing the weak and the unscrupulous
from robbing the honest; and to 40 fol
the equal benefit Of all such things as can
be better done by organized society thar
by individuals; and we aim at the abeli
tion of all laws which give to any class OF
citizens advantages, either judicial, finan
cial, industrial or political, that are not
equally shared by all others.
III. We further declare that the people
Of New York City should have full con
troll Of their own local affairs, that the
practice of drawing grand jurors from
one dass should cease, and the require.
mentof property qualification for trial
jurors should be abolished; that the pro-
cedwe of our co1rts should be so smpli.
fed and reformed that the rich shall have
no advantage over the poor; thst the
ofiicious 'intermeddling of the police with
peacnful assemblages should be stepped
that the laws for the safety and sanitary
inspection of buildings should Se en-.
forced; that in public work the direct EN-.
ployment of labor should be preferred to
the system which gives contractors op,
portunity to defraud the city while grind.
ing their workmen, and that in putzic EN-.
ployment equal pay should be accorded
to equal work, without distinction ,sf sex
~ We declare the erowding of SO
many of our people into narrow tene-
ments at enormous rents, while halfof the
city as yet unbuilt upon, to be scandal
ous evil; and that to remedy this state OF
things all taxes on buildings and improve
ments should be abolished, 80 that no fine
shall Se put upon the employment of
labor in increasing living aocomnoda-
tions, and that taxes should be levied on
land irrespective Of improvements, SO
that those who are now holding land va.
cant shall be compelled either TO build on
ii themselves sr give up the land to those
Who WI.
v. We declare furthermore that the
enormous value which the presence Of a
million and half Of people gives to the
land of this city, belongs properly to rhe
whole community; that II should not go
to the enrichment of individuals and cor
porations, but should be taken in taxation
and applied 10 the improvement and
identifying of the city, to the promotion
Of the health, comfort, edncation and
recreation of its people, and to the pro
viding of means of transit commensurate
with the needs Of a great metropolis We
also declare that existing means Of transit
should not be left in the hands of corpor-
ations, which, while gaining enormous
profits from the growth Of population,
oppress their employees and provoke
strikes that interrupt travel and imperil
the public peace, that should by lawful
process be assumed by the city and oper-
ated for public benefit.
vi. To clear the way for such reforms
asare impossible without it we favor a
constitutional convention, and since the
ballot is the only method by which in our
Republic the redress of political and social
grievances is to be sought. we especially
call for such changes in our elective
methods as shall lessen the need Of money
in elections, discourage bribery, and pre-
vent intimidation.
VII. And since in the coming most
important municipal election independent
political action affords the only hope of
exposing and breaking up the extortion
and pecuiation by which standing army
of professional politicians corrupt the
people whom they plumber. we call on all
citizens who desire honest government to
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